Former Touareg rebels eager to quash al-Qaeda

Ex-Touareg rebels in Mali are ready to join the fight against al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), AFP reported on Sunday (October 10th). "We are waiting for the green light from the Malian government chase al-Qaeda in our desert," a former rebel said. Pursuant to the terms of the 2006 Algiers Agreement, elite units of ex-rebels trained by the Algerian military would reportedly participate in the counter-terror fight under the command of the Malian army.